Need some power steering help : (

[Eightpot]

My new rangie project has just treated me to a power shower, very thoughtful of it, but now my house, my bonnet, my drive, my trousers and my cat are all painted dexron red

I'm trying to finish the last detail of the Isuzu conversion - power steering- and picked up a replacement fitting and some hose from Pirtek the other day, for the very reasonable price of one arm and one leg.

Unfortunately they had no banjo fitings the correct size (they have yet to have any fitting I have ever asked for in stock ) so they gave me a huge elbow fitting instead that came off the engine for the death star, attached to a stupidly oversized hose, with a jubilee clip.

The elbow is four inches long, so I'll never be able to shut the bonnet again, but hey ho, I was excited to try the pump.

Rigged it all up, started the engine and tried to bleed it. Nothing. Then realised I'd connected the high/low pressure hoses to the wrong ports.

Swapped the hoses over, filled system back up with fluid, turned the engine over and sat in the drivers seat to turn the wheel. Satisfyingly, the wheel turned with my little finger - all smiles again. Till the pink rain started.

I got out of the car to marvel at the spectacle, then realised power steering fluid was spurting out 20 feet into the air and covering everything in sight.

It appears I may have used a peice of sensibly sized heater hose in place of the hydraulic hose that Pirtek gave me (which didn't fit) - and the pressure had punched a nice half inch hole through it. I'm only surprised that the hose gave way first, ahead of the joint I had made 12" further on on to the old rangie hose which I have fashioned out of a 4" piece of copper pipe and two jubilee clips

So, looks like I won't be taking it on its first outing to the LR show at peterborough now and I'm a bit despondant after working like mad to get it rolling in time - so close. I know now that I need to get a proper hose made up, and have seen a place called power steering store that will make up a pipe - all I need to know now are the sizes/thread of the fitting for the high pressure hose on the 3 bolt rangie steering box, and the banjo size on the isuzu steering pump - does anyone know either of these??

oh yeah, and obviously I had to trim the end off the burst pipe and try it again, after all it may have just been an isolated weak spot or pin hole - either way I did it and now the system isn't pressurising at all - is it possible I've damaged the pump?

[FridgeFreezer]

Hyphose or Pirtek should be able to crimp something pukka up while you wait, a pair of PAS hoses for mine cost about £30 all in. Just take the tattered remains in and ask them to make something that fits.

[Eightpot]

I've given up on Pirtek - fourth time I've been in and they haven't been able to make up anything I've taken them.

As they hadn't got any banjos in the other day, they could only offer me a huge elbow rigged up with couplers and reducers to fit into the isuzu pump- that and 2 feet of hose cost 23 quid. I shouldn't have taken it, but I was anxious to make some progress. Also, don't have a hyphose nearby.

No doubt it's easy enough to get one made up and delivered though, I just need to try and find the dimensions and threads for the ends..

Anyone know of any other friendly crimpers in the mids??

[FridgeFreezer]

Have you looked in yellow pages for hydraulics places? There's one round the corner from me that repairs tipper trucks & JCB's all day long - they're not strictly a supplier of bits but they have most stuff on the shelf and can crimp anything.

[pat_pending]

Whatever you do, please get the pipes made up properly, not bits of heater hose and water pipe. The consequences if it fails whilst driving could be deadly!

Don't bother with Pirtek either, I spent 5 years working on plant and some of the "repairs" their mobile guys did had to be seen to be believed. I don't think they carry a single correct fitting for anything.